[22.08] The LOFAR radio telescope and high energy astrophysics

The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) is a new radio astronomy
array scheduled for initial operations in 2006, which is
being developed by the Netherlands ASTRON group, the Naval
Research Laboratory, and MIT/Haystack Observatory. It will
be an array of ~13,000 dipole receptors spread over an area
400 kilometers in diameter with sensitivity between 10-240
MHz. Due to modern digital signal processing advances, this
array will have a number of unique features which complement
the science objectives of the high energy community,
including continuous full-sky coverage, prompt
identification of radio transients, multiple simultaneous
observations, and long term monitoring of many sources.
These unique low frequency observations can be combined with
high energy data to deepen our understanding of many
sources. This talk will introduce the essential features of
LOFAR and key science goals, and will describe the
techniques and innovations of particular relevance to the
high energy community.

The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address
for comments about the abstract:
mmorales@space.mit.edu